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AMHERST COLLEGE. 






AMHERST COLLEGE. 



Le"t"ters from -fch? class 



-AND- 



^r\ Account of thf Quinquf nnial 



AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS. 
MDCCCXCI. 



Amhebst, Mass., April 30, 1891. 
Dear Classmates : — 

lu this pamphlet I purposed giving you a letter from 
every man in the class, including myself. I wish it were possible 
to carry out this purpose fully, but it has been impossible to get 
every man to write. 

Speaking for myself, I have found great pleasure in reading 
these letters, because it has enabled me to follow the men in their 
varied experiences. But I have been most interested in noting 
what each man is doing and comparing this with what I pictured 
to myself he would do, and with what he expected to do. As I 
said in a former letter, the triennial brought most of the men through 
their final preparation ready to take up the labors of their lives. 
The years since the triennial have seen most of us launched upon 
our varied careers. The next reunion, in '95, will, I take it, find 
most of us pursuing the same courses as now, only farther advanced. 
But I'll not attempt to preach, preferring, rather, to simply record 
the interesting events of commencement week and the present col- 
lege year. However, as I have been so very dilatory in preparing 
this letter I fear that to most of you the matters I shall mention 
will be "old stories." Ordinarily I should not think so, but the 
past year, I am happy to say, has seen the name of Amherst more 
frequently in the papers and has given the alumni and public greater 
opportunity for meeting and hearing those who compose the Amherst 
Faculty. 

President Gates, whose inauguration takes place in June, really 
assumed presidential duties in October — simply taking up these 
duties as they were relinquished by President Seelye at chapel. 
The popular approval of the new President's methods shows no 
signs of diminishing, and the high regard in which his ability is 
held cannot be lessened. There are unmistakable signs that the 
Alumni everywhere are taking renewed interest in the college and 
that President Gates will find hearty and general approval of every 
attempt on his part to broaden and improve the scope of the college 
on the lines so well established by President Seelye. This indeed 



is confessedly what the new President proposes to do. There is 
certainly great encouragement in the genuineness of the increased 
interest of the Alumni in the college. 

Money is more plentiful this year. In memory of Professor 
Mather Mr. Newton of Worcester leaves, sixty thousand dollars. 
The Fayerweather will gives us one hundred thousand more. An 
unknown benefactor gives one hundred thousand provided another 
hundred thousand is raised — all this in addition to the Billings and 
Lincoln gifts announced at Commencement. The one hundred 
thousand mentioned as conditional is unrestricted and is to be 
known as the " Seelye Fund." 

On the campus there will soon be a new chemical laboratory 
and South College is being rejuvenated. Pratt field nears com- 
pletion, a handsome grand-stand crowning the whole. More than 
that, the fellows are working in athletics and deserve the new field. 
Prospects for the season just opening are good. The Intercollegi- 
ate track athletics are to be held at Springfield. 

In the Faculty, Prof. Gibbons succeeds Prof. Mather. Prof. 
Morse is taking a year's rest and his classes are heard by Mr. 
Colby of Columbia. Professor Neill has again been ill and obliged 
to relinquish for a time the prescribed course in English Literature, 
but his classes have been heard by Professors Frink and Genung. 
Prof. Frink, in the department of Logic and Oratory, was unknown 
to us personally, but has made it clear through the increased inter- 
est and excellence in the work of his department that the college 
could have ill afforded to lose him had he accepted the urgent call 
of Dartmouth last December. 

In the town, taxes and gas and coal are still high and livery 
bills are as exorbitant as ever. The boarding house keepers con- 
tinue to lose money. But fraternity real estate is " booming" — 
or rather has been. The Alpha Delts have completed their beau- 
tiful new house, and have bought the place on Prospect Street 
adjoining them on the north. The Psi U's have bought the Davis 
place and the Chi Psi's the Burt place, so that now the square from 
the Baptist church to Northampton St. belongs to the societies. 
Theta Delta Chi has bought and greatly enlarged the old " Torch 
and Crown" house. 

So much for the college and town. Now for Eighty-five and 
what she did at the quinquennial. (It makes me feel old to use 
that word.) To tell the truth I hardly think we cut such a swell as 



we did two years ago. Still, almost everybody knew that "Eighty- 
five was here." The following is a list of those who were in town 
or at the supper: — Anthony, Bridgeman, Burr, Cutler, Dewey, 
Fiske, Galloway, Gardner, Greene, Harris, Hawks, Harlow, Hunt, 
Kimball, Palmer, Richards, Sherman, Stone, Soule, Simons, Thayer 
Tirrell, Tucker E. B., Utley, Whiting, Williams, Wood ward. Whit- 
man j Baldwin R. and Gladden. 

The class supper was held at the Highland House in Belchertown, 
the men being carried to and from Belchertown in a special train 
from here. The affair was only marred by the fact that we had to 
hurry the speeches in order to take the train, which could not be 
held beyond a certain hour. E. B Tucker acted as toast-master in 
a very toast-masterly manner that was inspiring. B. Hunt occu- 
pied a chair adorned by a sign announcing the presence of the 
*' Town Clerk" — the sign borrowed from a neighboring office. 
Gardner, who could not come to Amherst on account of duties in 
Worcester, came up to Belchertown especially for the supper. He 
responded to the toast on '85. B. Thayer responded for "The 
Bachelors " with great gusto, for, I suppose, he felt that it was 
his last chance. Ned Harris delivered a lecture on "Wedlock" 
and was followed by Woodward who had to answer for the " Class 
Boy." We tried hard to have the young man at the supper, but 
his mother objected to his acquiring convivial habits at so tender an 
age. We planned also to have him sit at the head of our table at 
tha Alumni dinner on Wednesday, but Papa Woodward said he 
knew the speeches would kill the boy even if he succeeded in sur- 
viving the annual hymn. The boy, by the way, is growing to be 
a fine looking, light-haired chap. His photograph is before me as 
I write. Sam Williams responded to the toast on " Woman," and 
he ought to be an authority, for he followed one all the way to 
India and back, and as you will see by his letter, there are now 
two in his family. 

At about this stage of the proceedings, Mr. John Taylor, not of 
Utah, but of Columbus, who had attended the Triennial in '88 as 
an intimate friend of a number of the boys, was made an honorary 
member of the class and presented with a brown paper diploma 
which was a marvel of polyglot phraseology. Soule followed with 
a sermon and I was called upon to follow with the letters from the 
absentees, but Ned Tucker choked me off after I had read Jimmy 
Tower's erotic from Deer Park. Next followed a little business 



which consisted in electing the following officers : President, Gal- 
loway ; vice-president, Russell ; secretary, Whitman. The class 
also voted that the tax should hereafter be one dollar, payable 
when called for by the secretary but not oftener than once a year. 
A jolly trip back to Amherst followed, and the quinquennial sup- 
per was a thing of the past. 

On the afternoon of Tuesday the class, together with the wives 
of the married men, enjoyed a very delightful reception tendered 
by Mrs. Harris. On Wednesday, the class occupied one end of a 
long table at the Gym., the remainder of the table being occupied 
by the Alumni present from '82, '83 and '84, and thus the one 
table contained the Alumni of the four classes that made up under- 
graduate Amherst when we were freshmen. Among the speakers 
at the dinner were Soule and Galloway. 

Amherst was beautiful at Commencement — she always is — and 
the sons of Amherst love her for her beauty — but none can be 
more devoted than those whose four years ended in Eighteen hun- 
dred eighty -five. 

In my next letter, for I purpose writing as often as possible, I 
shall hope to tell you many things that will show you that the Old 
College "still goes marching on." 

Faithfully, 

Frank E. Whitman. 



CLASS LETTEI^S- 



HERBERT V. ABBOTT, 56 Willow St., Brooklyn, New 
York — "Excuse me for not writing a long letter. To tell the 
truth, I have little to say of myself. I am on the Commercial 
Advertiser, in the literary part of the paper. This keeps me busy. 
I am long enough out of college to have gotten fairly into my final 
form of development. A very queer specimen, I have evoluted 
into. 1 am, (honest injuu) methodical at the gymnasium, sober 
as a judge, cross as a bear, an abjurer of all society because it first 
abjured me, and generally in a bad way. I run across a classmate 
occasionally, usually to find him engaged, married or jilted. I 
have thought discretion the better part of valor. Consequently I 
am here." 

HERBERT B. AMES, 131 Bishop St., Montreal. "Your 
circular letter received last night, and although Canada is ' so far 
away in the North ' she will not be the last field to be heard from. 
The chief feature to report with me for the year ending Dec. 30, 
1890 — is my marriage on May 19th last to Miss L. Marion Ken- 
nedy, daughter of Mr. John Kennedy, Chief Engineer Port of 
Montreal. We were presented on our wedding day by my father 
with a very desirable little house. No. 131 Bishop St., in the choice 
part of our city. We have already been visited by at least one of 
my classmates — Father Utley — now M. D., and we hope his exam- 
ple will be followed by many another of '85. I am still in the shoe 
manufacturing business with my father, but find time now and then 
for literary and religious work." 

GEORGE D. ANTHONY, Esq., 27 Ashland Block, Chi- 
cago, 111. No letter was forthcoming from George this time, so 
the secretary took it upon himself to go to Chicago and make George 
a call. This legal luminary was comfortably seated at his desk, 



8 

scolding the office-boy. The welcome which the secretary received 
was a veritable Chicago two-cent welcome, for George was delighted 
to discover that, on account of my visit, he would not have to 
spend a postage stamp. George seems to be happy and contented 
— as indeed any man ought to be with his success and prospects. 

CM. AUSTIN , Seattle, Washington . ^ 'The winter following 
graduation I went to Chicago. Here I remained till Oct., '89, in 
the wholesale coal business, when I came to Seattle. I am an 
investment broker here, dealing in stocks, bonds, warrants and 
loans under the firm name of C. M. Austin & Co. This country 
is the Utopia of the " real estate boomer," and like many others I 
have been more or less of a gambler in town lots, and recently 
have become one of the projectors of a new town site called " Gate 
City." Young college men are numerous out here, Yale and Har- 
vard men largely predominating. I have met but four Amherst 
men : Best in Taconia, Wilbur '84 who is located at Gray's Har- 
bor in the lumber business, and Palmer and Mason '87. Elliott 
and Murphey '87 who are in the eastern part of the state, I have 
not seen yet. Palmer and I are the only Amherst men in Seattle. 
We are keeping house with a club of college fellows. In many 
ways it is like living the old Amherst days over again. Much has 
been said and written about Washington and Puget Sound and 
should any '85 man be tempted to try the fortunes of this great 
and glorious country I should be glad to see you, hear from you, 
or get for you a ten per cent, interest bearing investment in some 
one of our securities." 

FRANK W. BARROWS, 209 Seventh St., Buffalo, N. Y. 

" As to myself, I am still teaching in the High school, and shall 
probably continue here for, at least, one year more. I am study- 
ing also in the Buffalo Medical College, and hope to finish in two 
years if not sooner. Then I propose to lay aside my present 
regimentals and practice medicine. If the total wealth of the 
country were distributed in proportion to the ivilUngness of individ- 
ual citizens, I should at once have enough to enable me to quit 
teaching and complete my medical course without delay, but 
teaching is all that keeps me alive, — my family too. Don't misun- 
derstand me when I allude to my family. It will be a long time 
before I enjoy the hixurj'^ of a wife. I am not heroic enough at 
present to propose the subject of matrimony to any one. I am 



afraid in most respects I lag considerably behind the majority of 
'85, but I have had to shoulder a good financial load, and am just 
beginning to see a prospect of independence ahead. I have only 
the pleasantest memories of Amherst and of '85." 

JAMES B. BEST, Tacoma, Wash. " In reply to your 
printed letter to the class, I would cordially return the ' season's 
greetings,' and mention the only item of interest in my personal 
history. I married Miss Gertrude Delprat on October 30th, — a 
Chicago girl, by the way, and am settled at Tacoma, Wash., prac- 
ticing law, and doing well enough to satisfy myself. I hope you 
will have full details of the happenings at the college. I hear very 
little of what is going on there." 

BURT N. BRIDGMAN, M. D., 112 E. 40th St., N. Y. City. 
I can learn nothing from Bridgman direct but from one of the 
New York boys I learn that his address is 112 E. 40th St., N. Y. 
Bridgman is practicing medicine in New York and seems to have 
success. He expects to remain here some time before returning to 
Zulu-land. 

BENJ. BROOKS, care Hampden Co. JaU, Springfield, Mass. 
Brooks was not present at our reunion last summer, although some 
of the fellows went to Springfield to see him personally and urge 
him to come. His address seems still to be care Hampden County 
Jail. 

REV. H. M. BURR, 159 Princeton St., Springfield, Mass. 
"I have not changed my base since the last class letter, only 
broadened it, figuratively speaking. Park church is booming, has 
more than doubled in membership in the last year, and a larger 
building will soon be necessary. Delightful work among delight- 
ful people." 

JOHN E. BUTLER, Jamaica Plain, Mass. " Am I the last 
to write you in reply to your class letter of Dec. 15th, I wonder? 
I think the lack of any interesting bits of personal history with 
which to acquaint you must be assigned as the cause for the delay. 
I am still doing what I have been doing for the past three years, 
studying and teaching. I am principal of one of the evening 
schools in Boston. I shall take my M. D. at Harvard University 
2 



10 

at the comiug commencement, and expect to begin the practice of 
medicine next autumn. Uuiess unforeseen circumstances arise to 
prevent, I shall go abroad in March for some months' further study. 
My autobiographical sketch for the forthcoming class-book is, as 
you see, exceedingly brief. As an intense lover of my country, 
and deeply interested in its growth, and as a firm believer in the 
doctrine of home productions, I must of course regret my inability 
to furnish you with such items as would naturally find place in your 
' Nursery Department.' Nay, more. I cannot even have the 
privilege of disclosing to you any compact already entered upon or 
likely to be entered upon, carrying with it the prospective possi- 
bility that items of such a nature may yet be furnished you in the 
future. Such matters I leave for those more worthy than myself. 
Unable to write you an ' interesting' letter, I am making a tremen- 
dous effort, as you see, to write you one that is ' long.' But I give 
it up ; further struggling is useless ; and I'll close with the fervent 
wish that the rest of your correspondents may prove more satisfac- 
tory contributors. 

GEORGE H. COBB, M, D., care Brown, Shipley & Co., 
London, England. " Your summons came yesterday and startled 
me not a little for living here has given me the idea that there was 
time enough, no hurry, and that everything is better never than not 
late. Still you can't expect a soldier on three cents a day with 
room and uniform thrown, in also one meal a day, or a man who 
must support a wife and some children on thirty-two cents a day, 
or a cabby who drives about for thirty cents an hour, to get much 
of a move on himself, and after an American has worn out his 
patience and become shockingly profane waiting from fifteen to 
thirty-five minutes for a Prof, to come to the Clinic, after he has 
tried to do thorough work in a country where there are as many 
Saint's days (holidays) as there were once wicked Austrians, after 
he has waited ten to fifty minutes for a dinner or lunch that was 
comiug gleich (= in Eng. D — n quick), do you wonder that he 
was both pleased and surprised to have such a breezy summons to 
wake up and do something immediately. My present address is 
Brown, Shipley & Co., London. By next summer any message 
sent to 222 West 23d St., New York City, (The Chelsea) will 
reach me. Left New York Hospital at end of medical service, 
Jan. 1, 1890. Married Jan. 28, 1890, to Laura Dayton Sprague 



At the business meeting of the class at last Com- 
mencement it was decided that the tax hereafter should be 
One Dollar, to be assessed whenever the state of the treas- 
ury demanded it, but not more frequently than once each 
year. The former tax of twenty-five cents a year was an 
inconvenient sum to send, and the class wished to make it 
possible for an occasional repetition of a souvenir distribution, 
something similar to the "blotter" of a year ago. 

Your tax of one dollar for the current year is unpaid. 
Kindly remit and oblige 

FRANK E. WHITMAN, Sec'y. 



11 

of New York. Sara Williams, B. Hunt and Richards helping the 
service on, while Ned Tucker, Ames, Jones, and numerous other 
'85 men came to give character to the occasion. Sailed on Feb. 12 
for England. Spent four to five weeks in crossing England, visiting 
Chester, Stratford-ou-Avon, Warwick, Kenilworth, Oxford, Lon- 
don, Canterbury, and Dover. Then came Ostende, Bruges, Brus- 
sels, Antwerp, The Hague, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Berlin. 
From England to Berlin was about three weeks more, then ten days 
later found us in Vienna. The General Hospital of 2500 beds 
with two more of 1200 and 1500 beds afford wonderful opportuni- 
ties to work a great deal in a short time. July and August were 
spent on a tour from Vienna through Prague, Dresden, Leipsic. 
Weimar, Eisenach and the Thuringian Forest, Cassel, Cologne, The 
Rhine, Heidelberg, Nuremburg, Stuttgart and Switzerland, from 
Zurich, via Lucerne, Furka and Grimsel Passes to Interlaken, over 
the Grand Gemmi Pass into the Rhone valley again, then to Cham- 
ounis and Geneva. Later by Lake (^onstance and Munich, the 
famous Bavarian Castles to Vienna again. Four months more of 
study since Sept. 1, and probably three more before coming home. 
Saw Prof. Harris in Dresden and Interlaken. Heard of E. A. 
Tucker in Berlin and Munich. As Prof. Harris says there is ' a 
good deal of looseness ' about this letter, but perhaps there is some 
food for thought and a brief index of a small pocket volume of Cobb, 
their ways and doin's from Jan. 28, 1890 to Jan. 1, 1891. 

(The above was written Jan. 1st and was followed Jan. 15th by 
the following postscript.) 

" If not too late you can add to the ' nursery.' A son, born 
Jan. 15, in Vienna, and warranted to be one of the finest." 

ELMER J. CORTTIS, North Grwsvenordale, Ct. "My 
letter will necessarily be short as I haven't much information to 
give you. I am still at home engaged in agricultural pursuits and 
have no other purpose in view at present. I am unmarried." 

SANFORD L. CUTLER, Hatfield, Mass. " It was very 
pleasant to hear again from you and to know that a class-book was 
in preparation. But my contribution to this document must be 
very meagre. I have made no brilliant achievements, and, natu- 
rally, fame and wealth haven't come my way. The names and 
dates you asked for are as follows : I was married Aug. 8, 1888, 
to Emma S. Thayer. We have a daughter, Clara Sanford, born 
July 23, 1889." Cutler is Principal of Smith Academy. 



12 

CURTIS DEAN, Esq., Loomer BTd'g, North St., Willi- 
mantic, Conn. " My ' shingle ' is out, but not in S. Coventry. The 
would-be city of Willimantic is my place of business where I have 
opened an office and hung out my sign. Lawyers are a slow 
growth like everything destined to reach a high degree of develop- 
ment, consequently I am still unknown to fame and cannot boast 
of any great achievements. My experiences have been of the 
ordinary, e very-day kind, not particularly interesting to any one 
but myself. This is the sum and substance of my history up to 
date." 

FRED H. DEWEY, 55 Mechanic St., Westfield, Mass. 

" Your favor of inquiry was duly forwarded to me at Billerica, 
Mass., where I am substituting as Principal of an academy this 
winter, having, I trust, closed connections forever with boarding 
schools. You may report me still out of the matrimonial batallion 
and the ' nursery ' class unless you are pleased to consider the 
vicarious parentage of a number of young people a phase of that 
blessing. During vacations I am one of two who are interested in 
the propagation and introduction of pure Italian bees and trust in 
a few j^ears to create quite an extensive summer business. As it 
is now uncertain where I may locate more permanently or how long 
may tarry in B., I would suggest to those who may write that I 
would be most happy to hear from any one who will address me as 
above." 

T. C. ELLIOTT, Walla Walla, Wash. " Your note at hand 
and I take pleasure in complying with the request for an immediate 
reply. There is no report to make in my case and so the reply can 
be brief as well as immediate. I do not mean by that that there 
has been no progress but that it is merely of the unappreciable 
sort, as far as telling about it is concerned. I am still a resident 
of the same city and still holding the same position connected with 
the same company. What is more, the company has not yet been 
obliged to ' hedge,' a la a good many other companies of the same 
sort. I have married, and the present Mrs. E. was Miss Anna A. 
Baker, of this city. The event occurred on the 18th of Sept. last. 
As to the rest of the boys in this vicinity, Austin is a broker and 
real estate agent over in Seattle and lives in club house style along 
with four other college men, one of them Palmer, '87. A John 



13 

Chinaman does the cooking for them and they are all becoming 
regular Epicureans, I am told. Best lives in Tacoma, and has 
recently married. Both he and Austin have done well on the coast, 
according to my advices." Elliott is cashier and land examiner for 
the Washington Loan and Trust Co., and a director of the Fidelity 
Abstract and Security Co. 

REV. ROBERT E. ELY, 598 Main St., Cambridgeport, 
Mass. "I have but little to say in response to your request for 
an individual history from each member of the class. You will 
see by the enclosed program that I have been ordained, and the 
branch of another church of which I was the Pastor for two years 
and a half, has become an independent church recently, a sort of 
' Peoples' Church ' with a membership from several nationalities 
and from many walks in life, from Harvard men to the poorest of 
the poor. I am unmarried and am likely to remain so. I should 
be happy to see any of the Amherst boys at any time." [The 
organization of the " Hope Congregational Church " and the ordi- 
nation of Ely, occurred on December 11th. Rev. Sherrod Soule 
and Rev. Howard A. Bridgman, among others, taking part.] 

WM. D. EVANS, Esq., 100 Diamond St., Pittsburgh, Penn. 
" When I received your little circular I concluded that for the time 
being at least I would abrogate that little maxim which is become 
the corner-stone of the legal profession, to wit, ' Never do to-day, 
what you can put off until to-morrow,' and with the best intention 
born of a knowledge of previous failings, I set about implicitly to 
obey your injunctions by wiiting you in the now. The distractions 
of the Holidays soon found me in the 'to-morrow ' clause, then two 
'85 boys came down to see me, and ' next week ' was out of sight, 
and now I fear it will take ' saving grace ' to get me in under the 
' next month ' provision. But as under the ' McKinley Bill ' you 
can get any thing in if you only pay enough for it, so, Whitman, I 
am willing to pay the penalty of having this letter of mine kept out 
of ' The Nursery ' (though fully conscious it Avould do it good to 
be kept there permanently) , if you will but acknowledge that I did 
respond to one of your circulars. Conscious thus of my failings 
heretofore, believe me though, it has only been out of consideration 
for my classmates that I have not inflicted myself upon them. Be 
assured when a man has been anxiously waiting for five years to 



14 

be hired to speak, when you come along and offer him the privilege 
of talking ad. lib., it is only the most vivid realization of conse- 
quences that would deter an other wise prudent man from ' letting 
go'. What am I doing? Well, to state the exact difference 
between an old lawyer and a young one (of which I am) one might 
correctly say that the former practices law, while the latter prac- 
tices on the law. Just as young physicians (and indeed old ones, 
too) practice on the patient, so in the young lawyer's life there is 
considerable experimenting with remedies to see just what exactly 
ails the patient. To speak in a figure, I have myself made the 
mistake of prescribing for a fever, when it was cold, — that is, 
' cold ' for the lawyer. 

What I propose doing is, I suppose, the fate of every one who 
goes into law, lose my ' money ' and reputation. No, I have not 
joined the ' majority,' and the chances are bad as I voted the 
republican ticket at the last election. I am still a member of that 
body known as the ' minority ' which is always ready for a deal. 
Owing to the loss of the family Bible, you will pardon me if the 
names and birthdays of my children, which are here appended, are 
somewhat inaccurate : 



I entirely approve of your plan of establishing ' The Nursery '. My 
own impression is that if such an institution had been established 
during '85's regime in college, many of us had matured much earlier 
in life. I could write you a book on what I don't know about my 
classmates. I do not know of any nearer in distance to me than 
Columbus, O. So I see much of them. Jase Hinman and Ned 
Tuttle spent a week with me during the Holidays, and we had an 
'85 reunion on a rather different scale, both in size and character, 
from what those staid events are remarkable for." 

PLINY FISKE, 81 Causeway St., Boston. "There are 
very few new developments in my case of interest to '85 men. I 
am not yet married ; have not changed my location and thei'e is no 
prospect of a change so far as I know. I was much disappointed 
in not being able to attend the Boston dinner and see the new 
President. I have not seen an '85 man for some time in Boston." 



15 

TOD B. GALLO^VAY, Esq., 553 E. Town St., Columbus, 
Ohio. Either the reunion last summer, or the election last fall has 
completely turned Tod's head. His letter is a perfect jumble and 
affords me the greatest difficulty in endeavoring to extract from it 
anything coherent. However, here goes ! Tod's name appears 
third on the letter-heads of the firm of Nash & Lentz, Board of 
Trade Building, Columbus, O. I am not informed as to the cor- 
rect form in legal letter-heads but presume that means that he is a 
sort of a third-rate lawyer. Business is not pressing, so he expects 
soon to go, dead-head as usual, on a jaunt through the South. He 
attends all the dinners that he can obtain invitations to and applauds 
when the crowd applauds and " smiles " when the crowd " smiles." 
He is not married or even engaged. Joking aside, rumor brings 
glowing messages regarding the "curly-headed child of destiny." 
His speech at the dinner commemorating the 70th birthday of 
Judge Thurman, where he spoke for the young men of Columbus, 
was received with great favor. 

GEORGE E. GARDNER, Esq., Walker Building, Wor- 
cester, Mass. " Five years out of college have brought me a good 
deal of experience and an even greater amount of happiness. I 
am in the rank and file of Worcester lawyers, and am still waiting 
for the ' case ' which every lawyer hopes is to pave the way to fame 
and fortune. I have been engaged in the compilation of an unpre- 
tentious legal work which the author hopes is soon to see the light 
through the medium of a Chicago publisher. Rally to the rescue 
of the publisher at any rate, my legal brethren in '85, and buy it 
when it appears. You see I am combining business with pleasure 
in the writing of this letter. I have no events of any particular or 
general interest to chronicle, but can merely say that life realizes 
more to me continually, and that I find constant cause for rejoicing 
in Amherst as alma mater, and in '85 as my class. 

REV. FRED'K D. GREENE, Van, Turkey. Greene writes 
from Van, under date of Jan. 12th, as follows : " Whitman's cir- 
cular of Dec. 15 has just caught me, after a seven thousand mile 
chase. My wife says I must answer it at once, (" Vox uxoris 
suprema lex." Prex.) I will always be glad of my last glimpse of 
the class at our quinquennial banquet, from which not even my 
wedding, two days latter, could keep me. The latter took place 



16 

at Andover, Mass., June 25, Miss Sarah A. Foster being the bride. 
Having been designated as missionaries of the American Board to 
Van in Armenia, we set sail from Boston for Liverpool, July 12, 
After visiting many places of interest in England and Scotland, 
we proceeded to Constantinople by way of Antwerp, Brussels, 
Cologne, the Rhine, Heidelberg, where I found Profs. Harris and 
Richardson, Sidney Sherman and Hitchcock and Ufford, '82, Swit- 
zerland, Northern Italy, Venice, Vienna, arriving at Constantinople 
Aug. 27. After a pleasant month with my parents, we started for 
Van, going by steamer to Trebizond. After ten days of rough and 
romantic mountain traveling we reached Erzroom, shortly after the 
riots between Turks and Armenians. We rested here one week, 
and then ten days more of even wilder journeying, mostly on horse- 
back, brought us to our present delightful home. Van is a city of 
40,000 people, largely Armenians, most beautifully situated on 
Lake Van. It is a mountainous region, Ararat being visible a 
hundred miles northeast. Persia is fifty miles east. Besides other 
missionary work I have charge of a boys' school of over a hundred 
where I teach History, English, and singing. I doubt if any mem- 
ber of '85 enjoys his life and work more than I do." 

ALFRED M. HALL-, M. D., Halle-am-Saale. "Many 
thanks for the class letter which came a few days ago. I hasten 
to answer it, although I have very little news to give. My last 
letter to you was from Gottingen if I remember rightly. From 
Gottingen I rode alone through Holland and Belgium on a bicycle 
meeting my mother and a brother in Antwerp. After a pleasure 
trip of a few weeks, on the Rhine, etc., we reached Berlin where I 
again studied and my brother, who is a physician, spent much of 
his time visiting the hospitals and clinics. Was much surprised to 
find Sharpe, '87, and Lawrence, '82, at the same table in the pen- 
sion where we stopped. Saw considerable of Bliss, '82, and Fiske, 
'84. Hallock, '85, was in the city and I saw him a few times. 
Prof. Harris came to the pension the day I left, too late for me to 
see him. From Berlin I came here to Halle. This is the best 
place I have found yet. There are no Americans here. For some 
time I was the only one but lately a son of Edward Everett Hale 
of Boston came and we are now two. My life is a delightful com- 
bination of work and pleasure. Have been given an assistantship 
in the eye clinic where I spend most of my time, of course. Am 



17 

having a good time, learning a little of German life and gradually 
getting a knowledge of my life work. My plans are to remain here 
as long as it suits me so well." 

W. H. HALLOCK. I get nothing from Hallock. E. A. 
Tucker met him in Berlin about a year ago. He was shuffling 
along the street in his characteristic way and in replj' to a question 
said that he was still " studying a little." 

DR. E. P. HARRIS, Amherst, Mass. Nominally Ned is his 
father's assistant in Chemistry, but practically, owing to the con- 
tinued ill-health of the Professor, he has charge of the Department 
of Chemistry. " A Laboratory Manual of the Non-Metallic Ele- 
ments " was published by Ned about a year ago and is used in the 
college. As was stated in the triennial book. Dr. Harris was 
married Sept. 8, 1888 to Elizabeth Beach. 

W. C. HAWKS, Hartford Theol. Sem., Hartford, Conn. 
Hawks' letter, dated Williamsburg, Mass., Dec. 30th, '90, is as 
follows : "In spite of the address at the head of this letter, I am 
still at Hartford Theological Seminary as assistant librarian, 
although as yet this fall there has been no one to assist. We have 
been without a librarian, but expect oue to take charge the first of 
January. This seems to be about all the news about myself. Any 
thing in the matrimonial line, I am sorry to say, has not yet struck 
in this quarter. I am glad, however, to hear encouraging reports 
from other members of the class. I see very little of any other '85 
men. Longfellow is px'eaching in Springfield, Me. He was having 
good success until he was taken sick something like a month ago, 
when I heard from him he was getting out some. A couple of 
weeks ago I had the pleasure of hearing and seeing Sam Williams' 
stereopticon lecture on India, which was very enjoyable indeed." 

F. B. HARLOW. I get no reply from Harlow. His ad- 
dress since graduation has been, P. O. Box 437, Worcester, Mass. 

JASON HINMAN, Esq., Ill Broadway, N. Y. Hinman 

is one of tlie most pushing men and hardest workers in the class 

and his energy is already beginning to tell. He has turned his 

attention largely to politics, and as chairman of the Reform Club's 

3 



18 

committee on Tariff Reform for the state of New York, has done 
excellent work. When '85 men begin to climb into the political 
orchard, Hinman will not be one of the late arrivals. 

ARTHUR JOHN HOPKINS, Johns Hopkins Univ. Balti- 
more, Md. " I finished two years of teaching of science at the 
Peekskill Military Academy, last summer, and took a rest from 
studies on the broad Atlantic. I sailed for Bristol, England, from 
New York, on a full rigged ship. The trip across lasted three 
weeks and recommends itself to anyone who likes the sea and is 
not averse to a little roughing. My health became wonderfully 
improved, so that, now that I am pursuing the higher chemistry 
course here, I have little fear of the old demon of ill health. I 
intend to complete a three years course in chemistry, either wholly 
in Baltimore or partly also in Germany. Many of the class have 
finished their higher courses and are already settled down to 
professions with the line of letters growing larger on the end of 
their names, while I am just beginning. But I hope to find that 
the intervening experience will prove, at least, not time lost. I 
can tell you very little of the other men. It would be a great 
pleasure to see them all once more. I find by counting over the 
list, that I have seen fourteen of the men since 1885. So you see 
the world outside of Amherst is quite large — big enough for us to 
get pretty well hidden away fi'om one another. If any should 
wander to this so called city ' Of beautiful women,' I should be 
pleased and honored to show them the ' Lions ' of the city — omit- 
ting the lionesses." 

E. R. HOUGHTON, M. D., U. S. Marine Hospital Service, 
Surgeon's office Port of N. Y. " Ever since the '84 Olio said that 
I wanted agents for my autobiography, I have been a little more 
cautious about ventilating my private life in public. As, however, 
I am anxious to know what all the other members of my class 
have done since graduation, I will write the few events of my 
post-graduate life in case any one should care to know of me. 
As you already know, I graduated from Amherst to take the 
responsible position of deck-hand on the tug-boat Ocean King. 
From this lofty position I was rescued by a friend, who assisted 
my efforts to get my degree of M. .D, which I received in '88, 
standing fourth in a class of 150. Later, in a competitive exami- 



19 

nation I took first place for appointment as iutei*ne at the Brooklyn 
Hospital. The next year I spent in the U. S. Marine Hospital as 
interne. On the 19th of April, 1890, I was appointed Resident 
Physician to the U. S. Immigration Service at the Barge Office, 
N. Y. city. My duties were to inspect and detain sick and 
injured immigrants. On the 23d of June I took an examination 
for the position of Assistant Surgeon in the U. S. Marine Hospital 
Service. The examination lasted eight days, and 1 had the honor 
of taking first place against ten competitors. 80% was required 
and my general average was 83.7 ; over two points ahead of the 
second man. On the 15th of July I was commissioned by the 
President and confirmed by the U. S. Senate as Assistant Surgeon, 
a position which is life-long. Every four years we have to take 
an examination for promotion and increase of pay. My next 
station is likely to be Sitka, Alaska." Houghton's engagement to 
Miss Phillips, now of Smith College, has recently been announced. 

GEORGE C. ROWLAND, 735 West Monroe St., Chicago, 
111. " 'Happy is the nation that has no history.' I am happy to 
say that I have nothing to record in the '85 book. Everything 
goes on quietly as is possible in this fair city (or Fair City)." 

WM. A. HUNT, Amherst, Mass. These near-by men seem 
to think that I know all about them anyway. So I have no letter 
from them. Billie is much the same as ever, still holds all the 
offices in town and is likely to continue to hold them as long as he 
cares to. He is a valuable member of the Athletic Board of Am- 
herst College which is so successfully supervising the athletic 
interests of the college. 

JOSEPH HUTCHESON, Episcopal Theol. School, Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 

DR. P. H. IRISH, Corvallis, Oregon. " I am very glad to 
hear that we are to have a class book as I am commencing to lose 
track of the boys, and while I hear frequently from Amherst yet 
do not hear much college news. I therefore hope that you will let 
us know as much as possible about how the old institution is getting 
along under the new management, and whether the old dry bones 
are commencing to rattle, and the college to broaden out, and 



20 

imbibe a few modern ideas with regard to the sciences and modern 
languages. Whether the snap courses are gradually being weeded 
out of the institution, and men are being chosen to fill positions not 
so much on account of what their grandfathers did, as what they 
themselves can do. As you wanted facts with regard to my his- 
tory — I was married, as you know, to Miss Emma J. Weber, July 
1, 1889. Have no data for the 'nursery'. Am teaching chemistry 
in the Oregon Agr'l C'ollege. Live in a town that for sleepiness 
compares with Amherst as that place does with New York. Have 
quite a good laboratory in which I have carried out a little original 
work in the line of agricultural chemistry since I have been here. 
Expect to come east at the time of the world's fair at Chicago. 
Why wouldn't it be a good scheme to have an Amherst alumni 
headquarters somewhere in Chicago during that summer, or at least 
during part of it? If any of the boys want to go to farming tell 
them to come out here and settle. And if they want to strike the 
laziest, easiest, happy-go-lucky climate in the world tell them to 
come to the Willamette Valley. Tell the boys to come and see me 
when they come this way." 

REV. CHAS. A. JONES, Kane, Penn. " It is hard for a 
fellow to write in earnest about himself. So I will simply thank 
you for the class letter and say : that [ am now pastor of the First 
Cong'l Church of Kane, Penn. I resigned my city pastorate last 
June and came to this Alleghany mountain village and oil-town in 
August, and on the twenty-third day of October I married Miss 
Anna Westervell Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Smith, 
129 Perry street. New York City. Ned Miller favored me in being 
my best man on that occasion." 

REV. KEIZO KOYANO, 37, 5 chome lidamachi, Tokio, 
Japan. The latest from Koyano was dated May 30th, '90, and 
was read at the class reunion in June, as follows : " I wish I could 
be present at the quinquennial reunion toseeyour familiar faces, to 
hear your familiar voices and to recall the happy days of our college 
life. But the Pacific ocean is a little too wide for me to jump it 
over and so I have to deny the pleasure of seeing you face to face 
at this time, but would like to send you a word of greeting. It 
was a great privilege as well as pleasure to me to have been with 
you four years in Amherst College and I am proud of being one of 



21 

the Mighty '85. I feel big whenever I see and hear the names of 
some of you mentioned with honor and praise, and although 1 am 
not a prophet nor the class prophet I am confidently anticipating 
to see that out of the class of '85 will come many a mighty man 
who will move the world to shape it better than he has found it. 
Such an anticipation is a great inspiration to me in my humble 
effort to fall in line. I returned home to Japan in January and 
found the country much changed, and felt as if I had come to a 
new and strange countr}-. The changes that have undergone in 
Japan during the past sixteen years are wonderful. AVhen returned 
I have had an experience somewhat like that Rip Van Winkle 
seemed to have had. Of course I did not find my wife or child 
married, for I had neither, but found all of my nephews and nieces 
married and some of them have children. I can now better appre- 
ciate the work of Irving and sympathize Avith the old Rip Van 
Winkle. At present I am devoting myself to a work among the 
students here in Tokio, trying to make them manly and intelligent 
Christian Japanese, and I enjoy the work very much. Three 
cheers to '85. 

WM. S. KIMBALL, Foxboro', Mass. Billie is very busy 
during the fall and winter months. Then he rarely comes to Am- 
herst, but is a frequent visitor during the sununer. He is, as 
heretofore, engaged in the manufacture of straw goods with the 
A. F. Bemis Hat Co. 

REV. E. G. LANCASTER, Eureka, Kansas. "In reply 
to yours, will say that I have changed base and business. I am 
now Principal of the South Kansas Academy located here. It is 
a nice school — young and small at present — of seventy-five pupils. 
In grade, it fits for any college. I have moved all my effects here 
and am enjoying life. The past year has been a hard one. I 
have had typhoid fever and Mrs. L. has n:>t been well since the 
birth of our boy, Elmer Ellsworth Lancaster. I find Kansas a 
beautiful country and would not go back for anything now." 

REV. C. H. LONGFELLOW, writes under date of 
March 5th from Los Angeles. Cal., as follows : " While preaching 
at Springfield, Me., I was threatened with phthisis, so migrated. 
I am exploring the San Fernando mountains. I visited this week 



22 

some oil wells, gold mines and a ranche where they raise such 
pumpkins that if you kick one several pigs will run out of it. I 
think strongly of locating here." 

WALTER C. LOW, Esq., 140 Nassau St., N. Y. "I have 
been too busy to write you in answer to the class letter. There is 
nothing new with me. I am working steadily along and have a 
fair chance of ultimate success. M}^ address (business) is as above 
and my residence ' The Lincoln Club,' 67 Putnam avenue, Brook- 
lyn. I am the solo bass in the Classon avenue Presbyterian 
Church and have been for the past three years. Am having my 
voice cultivated by Signor Emilio Belari. Music and business 
takes up my time and as yet I have done nothing startling or of 
interest to the boys." 

REV. H. G. MANK, New Gloucester, Me. " Your letter 
found me in the midst of a series of revival meetings which still 
continue. As to myself I have little to say. After leaving college 
1 spent one year in Yale Divinity School and two years in Andover 
Theol. Seminary. Then came to New Gloucester, Mass., and was 
ordained Jan. L5, 1889. Have been here ever since and perhaps 
have been as successful as the average country minister. The 
church is much stronger than two years ago. Has 185 members 
and very good facilities for work. But too much must not be 
inferred from these facts. I do not always expect to stay here. 
Think of taking a course of study somewhere at sometime. No 
definite plans. The work here is in such condition that I cannot 
leave it for several months at least. Was married to Georgianna 
Wells at Mercer, Me., June 5, 1888. Our daughter, Helen Gard- 
ner, was born May 14, 1889. Infant son, born Dec. 25, 1890. He 
is a fine eleven-pound boy but as yet without a name." 

EDWARD MILLER, Esq., care Hornblower & Burns, 

280 Broadway, New York. 

REV. H. H. MORSE, Milford, Conn. " Unavoidably I have 
delayed as I was in the midst of negotiations which I thought prob- 
able would change my address — so it has proven. My address 
will be Milford, Conn., having just accepted a call to the First 
Cong'l Church of that place and commence work March 22d. My 



23 

history is simply that of a preacher in the regular routine of his 
profession. Single blessedness is still mine. I enjoy the letters 
from you, and the reports of where the classmates are and what 
they are doing. Shall look with interest for further news." 

J. W. MORRIS, M. D., 142 Forest Avenue, Jamestown, N. 
Y." I graduated at the college of P. & S. of N. Y. U., June 13, 
1889. Hung out my sign here July 6, 1889, and have been here 
ever since. My practice is steadily increasing and I am doing as 
well as I expected to do. I was married Oct. 14, 1890 to Miss 
Mary Graj' of Bloomfield, Conn. Am treasurer and one of the 
deacons of the First Cong'l church of this city." 

J. D. MURRAY, Esq., Turners Falls, Mass. "When I 
wrote to you a year ago I was located in Holyoke. Soon after, I 
saw a much better opening up here and left that dusty city. 
When I came to Turners Falls I took the office of a retiring 
lawyer, with the position of attorney for the Crocker bank thrown 
in. I am the same careless, easy going chap that I was when at 
Amherst. Flirting, however, is no longer my hobby. I write 
articles occasionally under a ' nom de plume,' but steer clear of 
what used to be my favorite theme when 1 was a reckless student. 
I will send you the next article that is printed." 

C, H. NICHOLS, 60-90 Washington St., Chicago, 111. 
'* You must not think I was neglecting you in not sending any 
information regarding myself for the class-book, but absolutely 
nothing has tianspired since the publishing of the last one, which 
would, in the least, interest my classmates. The world has been 
very good to me as I have pursued my humble course, and that's 
all there is to it." 

REV. F. P. NOBLE, 533 Washington B'd, Chicago, III. 
" Story, God bless you, I have none to tell, Sir." Thus begins 
Fred's prompt reply to my letter of Dec. 15th. This reply he 
followed up with other letters and cards, each recounting some 
work done that cannot fail to interest the class. I wish all the 
boys would keep me as well advised as Fred has. From these 
letters we learn that Fred has been busily engaged in writing and 
has not labored in vain, for various magazines have contained 



24 

articles from his pen. In February, a year ago, he made a study 
of ' ' Fort Fisher Campaign '' and the results of that work he 
thinks of making into a monograph. Four months following were 
devoted to Comparative Theology, which resulted in the discovery of 
an unexploited field, viz. the hints of supernatural revelation or of 
"doctrines of grace" afforded by the natural religions. Next 
followed an article on "Natural Religion Prophetic of Revelation," 
which appeared in Bibliotheca Sacra in January, 1891. Last fall 
was spent in investigating the African slave trade of to-day . Our 
Day published the article in February, 1891, in March, 1890, 
the New Evgland Magazine his " Chautauqua as a new factor in 
American Life." In July Bibliotheca Sacra printed his review of 
" The Unknown God." Noble is now in the Newberry Library, 
Chicago. 

FRANCIS L. PALMER, Episcopal Theological School, 
Cambridge, Mass. " I meant to have given you my new address 
when I saw you at the reunion. I entered the middle class here 
this fall and enjoy the school exceedingly. Following Thayer 
and Hutcheson I have become an Episcopalian and am a candidate 
for orders in the diocese of Massachusetts." 

PROF. FRED' K W. PHELPS, Washburn College, Topeka, 
Kansas. " I shall be glad to know something of our last class 
reunion which circumstances prevented me from attending, and 
so shall welcome the class book. About myself, I still hold the 
position to which after two years probation as instructor I was 
elected — professor of the Greek Language and Literature in Wash- 
burn College. I have no plans for any change of work. During 
the year '89-90 I was on leave of absence and spent the time at 
Yale, taking the middle year of the Divinity school, as well as 
some other work in the University, and being licensed to preach 
last May. I supplied the pulpits in Glover and West Glover, Vt., 
during May and June, and later in the summer was instructor in 
Greek and on the Eng. N. Test, at the Bay View (Mich.) School 
of the Bible, returning in Sept. to my duties at Washburn. 
Ministerial work has been, to quite an extent, mingled with my 
college duties since my return, and seems likely to be in the 
future. I supplied the pulpit of the First Cong'l church, Topeka, 
during Sept. and Oct. Was appointed in Oct. Kan. Sec'y of the 



25 

Amer. Inst, of Sac. Lit and in Nov. was elected vice-president of 
the Kansas Academy of Lang., Lit. and Art. I am not a ' Bene- 
dict ' not even on the way towards it. '85 men may always 
count on warm welcome in Topeka if they make their presence 
known to yours in '85." 

E. FARM ALEE PENTICE, Esq., 39 Ilonore Building, 

Chicago, 111. " Of myself 1 have nothing to tell you. My otlico 
address is as above given. My residence is still 10 Tower Place. 
After you have said this you will have to pass on down the alpha- 
bet, and then in the solemnity of Mr. Elwell's phrase it will be 
* the next '." 

WARREN E. RUSSELL, Esq., Box 1196, Salt Lake City, 
Utah. " I am spending Christmas and the holidays at my old 
home with my father, mother and sisters. This is my first trip 
home since I took up residence at Salt Lake City, Utah. I am 
there practicing law and am enamored of the Silvered, the Woolly, 
and the Wild, to a degree which I will not describe here. The 
patronage and success which I have had since I settled in Zion has 
been beyond my hopes and more than satisfactory. To all young- 
blades I hereby present Horace G's advice with a superlative 
'Amen.' I am not married and still good-natured. I am glad to 
see that so many of my classmates have taken unto themselves 
wives. It makes the average good. There are two other Amherst 
men in Salt Lake City besides myself. Thrall, '77, and Brenner. 
Thrall is ministering to the Congregational flock in Salt Lake and 
is successful ; the most popular preacher in the city. We have a 
University Club which has just been incorporated. I have once 
visited George AVoodruff. He seems very much in earnest in his 
work, and is ably assisted by a most excellent and lovely woman — 
his wife. I am sure that I voice considerable Amherst sentiment 
when I write that we are glad our new president is not a preacher. 
The college was long priest ridden and I fancy we can now hope 
for an administration abreast of the times ; for conduct that will 
be religious but not narrow and Puritanical. My Salt Lake City 
address is P. O. Box 1196. I shall return to Utah, by Jan. 15th." 

FRED B. RICHARDS, 77 W. Divinity Hall, Yale Divinity 
School, New Haven, Conn. " To answer your questions seriatim. 
3 



26 

(1). Am still at Yale Divinity School, from which I expect to 
graduate in May, provided that the various theses and examina- 
tions are satisfactorily accounted for. My address until June 1st 
will be, as at present, 87 West Divinity Hall. After that it is 
uncertain, but letters addressed via Enfield, Mass., will be 
forwarded. (2). Concerning next year have not yet decided 
whether to take up pastoral work at once, or to take another year 
of study. Shall hope to settle this in the next few weeks. (3). 
Have no contribution to make to the ' Nursery,' and shall expect 
to continue as one of the rapidly diminishing minority for, at 
least, some time to come. It may be of interest to record that I 
have acted as assistant pastor to D. T. T. Munger, while in the 
seminary, though, of course, the position was hardly a formal one." 

T. W. SCARBOROUGH, 33 E. 50th St., New York, N. Y. 

SIDNEY A. SHERMAN, Beverly, N. J. "I am doing 
just what you asked us not to do — writing you 'next month', but I 
know you are a philosopher, and will rather have a half loaf than 
none. My 'vital statistics' I think you have, but will state briefly 
for sake of accuracy. Was married Dec. 20, 1887, to Miss Daisy 
A. Fairchild. Daughter, Daisy F., born Oct. 12, 1888. Son, 
Edwin S., born May 30, 1890. I was principal of the Amherst 
High School from 1885 to 1890, five years. In June, 1890, I en- 
gaged to teach Latin and German in the Wm. Penn Charter School 
Philadelphia, and went to Germany for a summer's study. Am 
now at work in the school, living in the town of Beverly, N. J., 
fifteen miles above Philadelphia. I will not attempt to write a long 
letter for the same reason that I should not write a long sermon if 
I were a parson." 

C. H. SMITH, 3158 Prairie Ave., Chicago, 111. I have no 
letter from Smith but met him last summer at one of the Thomas 
concerts in Chicago. 

E. H. SMITH, M. D., Redding, Conn. "We all believe in 
Tower and in his ability to foretell the future especially. So I need 
only say that I am trying to fulfill my destiny as pronounced by 
him in that immortal document the Class Prophecy. To be a little 
more definite, after leaving the Emigrant Hospital in January, '90, 



27 

I came to Redding, Conn., where I have been practicing medicine 
since. The life of a country doctor has its advantages and disad- 
vantages. On the whole my first year has been fairly successful. 
Just how long I shall stay here is uncertain ; probably not many 
years. I was married April 9, '90, to Miss Mary C. Wakeman. 
That's an item that may interest the class." 

E. M. STEVENS, P. O. Box 1001, Minneapolis, Minn. 
" I have very recently returned from the East and regret that it 
was impossible to get up Amherst way. AVas graduated at 
Harvard Law School last June and I will enclose slip which will 
show you the good standing of Amherst men in the class. This 
winter while in Boston, I was admitted to the Suffolk bar, and 
expect to begin practice here in Minneapolis soon. Am unable to 
give you any permanent residence address just now, but my mail 
address is P. O. Box 1001, Minneapolis, Minn. The class book 
will be looked for eagerly." 

[Three Amherst men, including Stevens, received the degree 
LL. B., cum laude. F. E. W.] 

ARTHUR F. STONE, " The Caledonian," St. Johnsbury, 
Vt. ' ' Life at St. Johnsbury moves on in its monotonous grind 
with continuous calls from compositors and the "devil" for 
" copy." Your letter has a similar call and must be answered at 
once. 

In many ways the past year has been an eventful one. On the 
first day of the year, at Northampton, Mass., I was married to 
Miss Helen S. Lincoln, a Smith graduate of the class of 1888. 
On March 12, a telegram from Jacksonville, Fla., announced the 
death of my father from pneumonia. Besides the deep personal 
loss, his death meant much work for me, for the entire charge of 
the Caledonian then came into my hands. 

Since then I have been kept very busy and find little time for any 
outside work. 

Through the year I have been watching with much interest the 
progress upon my new house and it will give Mrs. Stone and 
myself much pleasure to entertain any '85 man in our new home 
in 1891 or in years to come. The memories of the June reunion 
are very pleasant and I wish all the class might have been there. 
Surely ' no pent-up Utica contracts our powers ' when our class- 



28 

mates are to be found on every continent, or will be when Dr. 
Bridgman enters upon his work in Natal, South Africa. I antici- 
pate seeing the book as I shall be permitted to read letters from 
the now famous members of the class of '85. With best wishes to 
all for prosperity and happiness." 

REV. SHERROD SOULE, 24 Washington St., Beverly, 
Mass. " In writing my auto- biography 1 refer you to the Trien- 
nial Record and add the following as a supplement : The demand 
for a second edition of my life, when so short a period of time has 
elapsed is very flattering. Such, however, is the consequent fame 
of being an '85 Amherst man. . I was settled over the Dane St. 
Cong'l Church in Beverly, Mass., in June, 1888, and I still continue 
to do business at the same old stand, where I shall be pleased to 
see all of my old friends and any new ones who will favor me with 
a caM. I have not been obliged to leave my church, notwithstanding 
I was indiscreet enough to let George Woodruff preach for me on 
one occasion and rash enough to let Ned Tucker visit me during 
the day-time. I am not a pater familias hence have no wood-cuts 
of diminutive humanity to illustrate the Quinquennial Record. I 
am not married, neither engaged ; but after the nest leap year I 
will match offers with any '85 man. Right here I would like to 
state to the members of '85 that I have a few gross of worsted 
slippers, skillfully embroidered and delicately wrought, which I 
would like to exchange for the necessities of life. I will furnish 
especially good terms of exchange, for cigars. A slipper for a 
cigar of fair quality is the standing offer. '85 men can be assured 
of a large assortment of size, shade and quality from which to 
select. The most prevalent form of floral ornament is the 'forget- 
me-not.' Cigars of this brand however will not be received in 
exchange. Aside from my professional duties, my diversion con- 
sists in the raising and training of trotters. For further particu- 
lars I request you to scan the sporting columns of the daily papers 
for the season of 1892 and 1893 and mark well the fastest yearling 
and two-year-old colt in America. Woodward is not the only man 
in '85 who will secure a silver cup. If any of the '85 boys are in 
Boston over Sunday, and wish to listen to an able pulpit effort, let 
them take a train from the Eastern R. R. station and upon reaching 
Beverly just 'follow the crowd'. They will not find me in this 
way however, but it will assist me in finding them for after 



29 

preaching service is over I am 'with the crowd'. I hope to be here 
in Beverly for some time and that every Commencement will find 
me back at Old Amherst. I have no particular plans for the future 
save a proposed trip abroad for the summer of 1S91. 

EDWARD SIMONS, Esq., 5 Beekman St., (Temple Court) 
New York. Simons is practicing law, with an office at the above 
address. 

REV. WILLIAM G. THAYER, Groton School, Groton, 
Mass. " Since I last wrote to the class Secretary, my time has 
been spent in the Theological school at Cambridge, from which I 
received the degree of JJachelor of Divinity, and in Groton School. 
The summer of 18S9 was spent in England and Scotland. I am 
teaching History and English in the school and am minister-in- 
charge of St. Andrew's Mission, Ayer." 

[Billie's engagement has recently been announced.] F. E. W. 

GEO. P. TIBBETS, Williston Seminary, Easthampton, 
Mass. " A chance meeting with yourself is always made doubly 
interesting by the incidental bits of news, so that it is a pleasure 
to send along my mite, copper though it may be. I seem to have 
turned New England into a race course and make periodical 
attempts to beat my record round it. Some of the boys, at least, 
can remember the time when Tib ' could do any example in 
Mathematics, barring rank problems and catch questions,' and 
tho' he isn't quite so gifted now, he has to do a good many. The 
hardest one was at Xmas in cataloging the library here in three 
days. By getting nine assistants and hustling all over Mass. 
I managed to solve it. I am married (on paper because it's so 
much more economical) to Sichel's ' Medea.' If you happen 
upon the original in your wanderings, send for me at once, will 
you?" 

E. S. TIRRELL, Prouty High School, Spencer, Mass. " I 
know of nothing of special interest to the boys, where I am 
concerned. I am still here in Spencer, a hum-drum pedagogue, 
but blessed with a home, if a good wife can make one, (and I 
would like to hear any one say they cannot). You ask for 
additions, I have to report the birth of a son in Oct. '89, and our 
great loss in the Dec. following. Remember me to all the boys. 
I was very sorry not to be able to come to Springfield." 



30 

J. E. TOWER, " The Homestead," Springfield, Mass. "The 
height of the honeymoon period is no time to write an edifying letter 
to the boys, as many of them are aware by this time. Sermons 
are a more natural mode of expression than jocular letters, with a 
mind and heart charged with sentiment at high pressure, as is 
proved by the case of Rev. Aaron Burr, '85, now preaching excel- 
lent discourses in this city. Aaron is the same old boy, augmented 
by a charming wife and a promising daughter (I think it is a 
daughter) , who cling like the true Burrs that they are to the tree — 
which drops no chestnuts from the pulpit, however. Like Rev. 
Mr. Burr and myself, Benjamin Brooks of this city is actively en- 
gaged in reforming and elevating humanity. His friends are 
confident of his suceess as a criminal lawyer, after his valuable 
experience in dealing with the criminal class as turnkey of the jail, 
and the fine examination he passed for admission to the Bar. Ben 
will ' get there' when he sets about it. A delightful literary and 
social club to which I belong numbers in his membership Lawyer 
Edward A. Baker, '84, Wm. Orr, Jr., '83, Rev. Edward H. By- 
ington, '83, and Henry H. Bosworth, '89. For the relief of certain 
solicitous friends in the class, I would say that I have been forced 
to abandon my pet scheme of an alligator ranch, though convinced 
that there is money in it, such is the value of alligator skin and 
the certainty of extinction. I now give the idea free of charge to 
the capitalists of '85, that they may have the first chance at it. 
Madam Tower, upon whom would devolve the duty of feeding the 
animals and making herself generally useful in their culture, frowns 
upon the project and that settles it. Thus perishes a hobby which 
was conceived in junior year. Having aired all the private affairs 
I dare to, I would say that I live within ten minutes' walk of the 
Springfield station, and keep open house to the men of '85." 

REV. E. A. TUCK, 117 Lander St., Newburgh, N. Y. 
" Praise and progress for the class of Eighty-Five." 

ERVIN A. TUCKER, M. D., Sloane Maternity Hospital, 
59 Street and 10th Ave. "I am glad you are to give us a quin- 
quennial book, for I want very much to hear about that reunion 
and to learn where the fellows all are. I hope there will be no 
delay in getting it ready, for I shall be in the dark about most of 
my classmates till I receive it. You ask for information about 



31 

myself. You know I always was one of the ' some '85 men Avho 
are modest,' so you mustn't expect a very full report from me, 
but I will give the main facts. Last year (I mean the past year) 
has been spent in Europe, mostly in Germany, studying medicine. 
I met Alf. Hall in C4ottingen and passed many a pleasant hour 
with him. In Leipsic I tried to call on Breck, but he had just left 
for Trier. Hallock (the ' same old ' Hallock; dawned on my field 
of vision one day in Berlin — he is still studying, but he told me 
about it in such a deep philosophic way that I didn't understand 
at all. I settled in Munich for the summer, varying the monotony 
of beer-drinking by a sail down the Danube to Vienna, a trip 
through Switzerland, a bicycle trip in the Tyrol and a visit to the 
Passion Play in Ober-Ammergau. A month's stay in Paris and 
five weeks in London, with shorter tarryings in Dublin and Edin- 
burgh ended my tour. Dec. 1, I came here and began my duties 
as resident physician in this hospital. I also instruct in ' Prac- 
tical Obstetrics,' (Coll. of P. and S.) as you will see by the 
catalog. M3' time is very fully taken by my various duties, so, 
according to some philosophers, I ought to be a happy man. I 
am still to be found in the ranks of the bachelors — by no means 
so melancholy a fate as it might seem at first thought." 

E. B. TUCKER, Esq., 31 Nassau St., New York. This 
Son-of-the-Revolution will not write me an account of himself but 
leaves me to furnish the data required. I can only say that though 
reported engaged. Tucker denies it, and though generall}^ believed 
to be lazy, he is working pretty hard at the law. In politics he 
would be a mugwump, like me, — if he dared. 

GEO. M. TURNER, 19 Elizabeth St., Auburn, N. J. "I 
was thinking only a few days before I received your letter if we 
should not hear from you about the holiday time. The blotter 
which you sent me last Christmas has found a very serviceable 
place on our writing table. AVhen you have finished your compi- 
lation of last June and of the boys, I know you will have some- 
thing well worth our attention I think I wrote you that I married 
Laura A. Lawton of Skaneateles, N. Y., on June 27th, 1888. In 
the following fall we went to live in Newark, N. J., where I was 
engaged to teach in the Newark Academy. 1 was not well pleased 
with the work there so remained but one year. In the fall of 1889 



32 

my wife and I moved to Auburn, N. J., where I had engaged to 
teach in the High School branches of the scientific course. With 
a new building and a good chemical laboratory, I have enjoyed 
my work since that time. It is too soon yet to say whether I shall 
remain a third j^ear here. Since I came to Auburn I have not seen 
an '85 boy, so cannot tell you much about my classmates." 

E. G. TUTTLE, M. D., Flower Surgical Hospital, 63d 
St. and Avenue A, New York City. " Your letter was gladly 
received and although I have nothing to communicate of special 
interest, I will send you my address as above. I probably shall 
not remain in hospital work much longer, but where I shall settle 
God only knows." 

REV. G. L. TODD, New Boston, N. H. 

I. H. UPTON, Portsmouth, N. H. " Your very personal 
letter came to me just as I was about to start for Chicago, that 
famous town of the West, (you have doubtless heard of it.) Of 
couse you didn't expect a fellow to stop right then and miss the 
train on such an important occasion. And this is the first oppor- 
tunity I have seen since my return. There is hardly any use in 
writing now, except that you may know that I still live and find 
plenty to do in a large high school. As to other fellows, 1 have 
this to say, that ' Jonah,' my chum, has taken unto himself a fair 
wife and joined the majority and is apparently very happy. He 
is now in Kane, Pa. As to myself, I am not married as yet, am 
in 'opes sometime to clasp a fair form to my bosom and say, 
' Thou art mine.' 

E. R. UTLEY, M. D., Newton, Mass. Is practicing medi- 
cine as formerly, at Newton. Reports a delightful time in Mon- 
treal at the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Ames. 

E. G. WARNER, 153 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. " My 

life is so uneventful and monotonous that there is scarcely any 
thing in it that can interest either yourself or the other members of 
the class. Two events have however been of considerable interest 
to myself and perhaps may be^such to others, one, my marriage to 
Euphemia J. Lawson on June 25, 1889 ; the other, the birth of a 



33 

son on Aug. 8th, 1890. The young man's name is Harold Lawson 
Warner, and he is and admitted by all (ourselves included) to be 
a remarkably fine boy, physically, intellectually and morally. I am 
still teaching Latin and Greek in the Polytechnic Institute. With 
the aim of rubbing off some of the rust and keeping up with the 
times in my profession, I am taking a course in pedagogy in the 
University of the City of New York, and am now in my second 
year." 

REV. J. C. WILSON, Stonington, Conn. " Your letters 
came into my hand almost at the same time. I have just.returned 
from the ' west ' where I spent a pleasant vacation and saw some 
of the boys. I have no facts to communicate worthy of notice in 
the proposed book. The life of a country parson is an uneventful 
one. 1 preach my sermons, eat my dinners, take my drives very 
much as my predecessors have done for two centuries and a half. 
Outside my parish work I take most comfort in traveling and 
swopping horses. The latter is by far the most expensive luxury 
I indulge in, and so far has been productive of the best returns in 
as much as it proves an unfailing source of amusement to my cau- 
tious parishoners. I have not made any fortunate investments 
and so am poorer than a ' church mouse '. Neither have I been 
frightened out of the ministry by the immensity of the calls that 
have been pressed upon me, though I live in daily expectation of 
that and other calamities. My chief difficulty at present is to find 
a happy man and one who does not want the Bible modified. May 
all these sage utterances be duly inscribed in my obituary as a 
perpetual memorial of my wisdom." 

REV. GEORGE C. WOODRUFF, Green Mountain Falls, 
Colo. " Last night I had a dream. Regular parable variety, and 
I was one of the ' lean kine.' I saw the ' '85 quinquennial book.' 
a ' daisy ' of course, and I was left, I deserve it, am probably too 
late now. Always was one of the ' 85 men who are modest,' but 
I will write you personally, if not in an official capacity. Life is 
quiet now, very. Have been here a year last Jan. 1st. Have 
completed a fine church, doubled our membership, raised nearly 
$1500 and dedicated our church. Our present population is 50, 
in the summer 1500 and finest climate in the world. Am awful 
sorry for you poor fellows back East. Since October, I have also 
4 



34 

been doing general missionary work all over the state. We expect 
to come East in April or May for the Summer and to Amherst at 
Commencement. Get out a crowd of '85 men for our especial 
benefit please. Was East last June for the Y. P. S. C. E. 
Convention in St. Louis, as Colo. Supt., but could not make the 
coast. Amherst men are soaring out here. Organized a fine 
association last March, G. C. W. secretary and treasurer. Am 
the only '85 man in this region, but try and hold up my end. 
Colorado and free silver, Amherst and '85 now and forever !" 

[Woodruff is in Amherst for the Psi U. convention just as this 
form goes to press and says he is East permanently. For the sum- 
mer, letters addressed to Litchfield, Conn., will reach him.] 

S. H. WILLIAMS, Glastonbury, Conn. " Really though, 
I have very little to write about of special interest. I can answer 
your question about the name and birthday of my daughter. She 
is Carol Scudder Williams and was born May 1st, 1890. As you 
found out at Commencement, she is the class baby of the class of 
'85 of Wellesley College. The absorbing topic right here this fall 
has been our fire, for on the 5th of Nov. three of our soap 
factories were burned. It was the part where we made our soap 
powder, ' Ivorine.' By hard work we saved the rest of the 
buildings where shaving soap is made, and we felt very thankful 
for that. We have been unable to discover surely the cause of the 
fire, so have to fall back upon the supposition that it must have 
originated through spontaneous combustion. With this exception 
the time has been passing quite uneventfully. I saw Hawks in 
Hartford, last week, for a few minutes ; and that reminds me, it 
was at a lecture I was giving. I have bought a stereopticon, and 
have given some illustrated lectures on India, and what I saw 
there. I have enjoyed it, perhaps more than those who heard me. 
I attended the Yale-Harvard foot-ball game in Springfield, but 
saw no '85 men. Sat with Yale men and cheered for Yale. In 
August Richards spent a Sunday with me, and preached two very 
good sermons in our church." 

[Please notice that although the " Ivorine works were destroyed, 
the factories for making shaving soap were saved." (Sample cake 
by mail for 15 cents in stamps.) The skill shown in this adver- 
tisement rivals Barnum's. Perhaps you think there is " f at " in 
this for me, but there isn't. I don't believe in " muzzling the 
press. F. E. W.] 



35 

JAMES T. WHITING, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Jim came to 
the reunion and had such a good time here that he hasn't been able 
to " compose " himself long enough to write a letter since. 

FRANK E. WHITMAN, Amherst Mass. This man has 
been so busy trying to find time to write class letters and collect 
them in this pamphlet, that he has been unable to write the letters 
or an account of himself. Incidentally he manufactures straw- 
goods. 

E. B. WOODIN, Chester, Penn. "There is absolutely 
nothing to tell about myself. Here I am in the same place doing 
the same work. No prospects in the matrimonial direction, and as 
I still have my senses, there will be none for the present." 

[Woodin is Professor of Chemistry in the Pennsylvania Military 
Academy, Chester, Penn.] 

E. M. W^OODWARD, 139 Austin St., Worcester, Mass. 
" Your appeal for a long letter and additional request that it be 
full of personal news seems to me to be altogether unreasonable. 
It must be that you have little appreciation of a teacher's life to 
expect to hear anything startling from them — they have few hopes 
to express and no promotions for which they can expect congratu- 
lations. I am still teaching in the Worcester High School where 
old Amherst is well represented — seven of the ten male teachers 
being Amherst graduates — and it is not enough to say that I enjoy 
the work. Outside of school my time is usually employed in 
" tutoring" the class boy, but, of course, that is a labor of love. 
Since I met you at Belchertown my attentions have to be shared 
with his little sister who was born the 14th of last July, and 
Whitman, since you have not yet arrived at the dignity consequent 
on being the head of a family^ I know you will have no objection 
to my saying they are the two finest babies you ever saw. The 
baby's name is Ruth Lizzie Woodward — we have a weakness for 
strong old Anglo-Saxon and Hebrew names. You speak of the 
favor with which President Gates has been received. We were 
fortunate enough to hear him speak at a Teachers' Convention here 
and meet him in the evening at a reception. There were many 
Amherst alumni present and their satisfaction was complete. Well, 
I have nothing to add. We want to see more of 'So and our latch- 



36 

string is always out. Will try to send you Harold's picture so that 
you may see that he is growing." 

[The picture referred to shows a fine " two-year-old " with not 
the slightest resemblance, however, to the boy in the class triennial 
book. He is preparing for the class of 1909 and expects to take 
the "Porter".] 



DWIGHT BALDWIN, Allston, Mass. I have a long and 
interesting letter from Dwight, in which he says that his engage- 
ment has recently been announced. He is " still struggling along 
in the real estate business ; has built twenty or twenty-five houses 
in the last three years and is now building six." In spite of all 
this he says his " profits are not yet large enough to allow him to 
retire from active business." 

RICHARD BALDWIN, Terryville, Conn. "Dick" was 
one of the prominent figures of our reunion, but no letter has been 
received from him since that time. 

A. W. BROOKS, Augusta, Maine. When last heard from 
Brooks was in the hardware business in Augusta, as, indeed, he 
has been for a number of years past. 

W. M. BROWN, Titusville, Florida. "It is always a 
pleasure to me to know about the boys of '85, — where they are, 
what they are doing and how the world is using them ; and when I 
am called upon to give an account of myself for their benefit I feel 
like responding at once, though I must confess not always to do it 
because just the opportunity I would wish does not present itself, 
and then too the average fellow hates to talk about himself. As 
you know I left college at the beginning of my junior year and 
went to Utica, N. Y. to accept a position in a real estate and insu- 
rance office at a salary of $20 a month. All the conceit I had 
gained during my two years in college that salary of $20 a month 
knocked out of me. I can look back now into those college days 
and I smile when I think how important we college boys felt — how 
we thought the world couldn't move without us — and how few of us 
knew what life was in its reality. Well that $20 a month told me 
that Brown was a fool if he thought he was anything great and 



37 

what he was to be was what he was to make himself. Thus it was 
that I set out to paddle my own canoe. My next move was to 
Florida, where I became private secretary to the general manager 
of a railroad. I held that position two years when an opportunity 
to go into a bank presented itself. I took advantage of it and it 
was the best move I ever made. It marked the beginning of a set- 
tled business career. In about a year another opportunity pre- 
sented itself — yes, two of them — going into the banking business 
myself and getting married. I couldn't let two such grand oppor- 
tunities slip by so I took advantage of them but I reversed the 
order — got married and afterwards went into the banking business. 
Getting married was another good move. It is the balance wheel 
of a man's life. I was married Sept. 14th, 1887 to Anna Steven, 
son, eldest daughter of Capt. Henry R. Jones, U. S. A., — George 
Gardner acting as best man. I returned to Florida and on Oct. 
3d, 1887, another party and myself started the Indian River Bank 
at Titusville, Florida, with a capital of $10,000. My venture 
proved a success. On Jan. 1st, 1890 we organized and incorporated 
our bank under the laws of the State of Florida with an authorized 
capital of $100,000 and $25,000 paid up, styling the new concern 
the Indian River State Bank. We have some of the strongest men, 
financially in the state associated with us — the president of the 
national bank of Jacksonville being vice-president of this bank. 
This year we declare a dividend of 20% on the capital stock and 
carry 4% to surplus account. My dividend and salary give me 
an income of $4000 a year — not a bad jump from $20 a month. 
So you see financially I am prospering. I am now organizing the 
Florida Loan and Trust Co. with an authorized capital of one mil- 
lion dollars of which one hundred thousand dollars will be paid in. 
But the greatest event of all was the presentation of a little daugh- 
ter on the second anniversary of our wedding, Sept. 14th, 1889. 
Her name is Louise Wadsworth Brown. Last summer I went North 
and had the pleasure of meeting Jimmie Tower, Palmer and old 
Ben Brooks in Springfield, Mass. Ben I found at the County jail 
where he turns the key. He's the same old Ben. 

FRED D. BARKER, 15 Brittania St., King's Cross, London 
W. C. Nothing has been heard from Barker, directly or indi- 
rectly, for two years at which time his mother sent me the above 
address.— [F. E. W. 



38 

Dr. E. BRECK, Knauth-Nachod & Co., Bankers, Leipsic, 
Germany. While riding between Boston and Palmer last October, 
I was fortunate in meeting Breck who was in America for only a 
short stay. He had visited Soule in Beverly — and, what was 
more, heard him preach, and was on his way to N. Y. where he 
expected to see other '85 men. — [F. E. W. 

C. H. FESSENDEN, M. D., Beacon St., Newton Center, 
Mass. A card announces the birth of a sou, Howard Pike Fes- 
senden, Feb. 21st, 1891. 

W. S. GLEASON, M. D., 158 Grand St., Newburgh, N. Y. 
"I have as you know been practicing medicine in Newburgh, N. 
Y. for nearly four years. Whatever prosperity has been accorded 
me is shared by my wife, and a thirty pound, six months old boy. 
The boy's name is Charles Billings Gleason, born June 22, 1890." 

W. A. GORDON, Chickering Hall, N. Y. City. "I do not 
know that there is much use of my writing at this late day, but 
will just drop you a line. I lost my father on the 18th of Decem- 
ber. It was very unexpected, for while he had been ill for some 
time neither he nor any of us expected there was any serious trouble. 
The amount of extra work this has placed upon me has kept me 
very busy indeed. I have nothing of interest to tell you — my plans 
for the future will remain the same. I believe I sent you cards of 
my marriage August 6th, 1890, to Miss Harriet Louise Woodworth 
in Grand Forks, Dak." 

FRED C. GLADDEN, Box 61-4, Columbus, Ohio. Fred 
attended the reunion last summer but has not written since. I 
learn that he has, during the past winter, been business manager 
of the Ovide Musin Concert Co. Doubtless letters sent to his old 
address, as above, will reach him. — [F. E. W. 

H. H. JOHNSON, 502 Society for Savings Building, Cleve- 
land, Ohio. "Johnnie" is the junior member of the law firm of 
M. B. & H. H. Johnson at the above address, and writes as fol- 
lows : "Excuse me for seeming to demand a personal letter from 
you before appearing with my contribution. College friendships 
are proverbial outside as well as inside college circles but speaking 



39 

from the standpoint of one who was with the class of '85 during 
but one-fourth its course I must testify to the remarkable warmth 
of the fellowship existing among its members and the close and 
lasting regard felt for those who ave not numbered as fellow grad- 
uates of Amherst. I for one of the "short-cuts" feel that I 
appreciate this and reciprocate it fully. I look for the pamphlet 
with a great deal of pleasure. Since graduating from Harvard 
Law School in '88 I have been waiting to practice law in this town 
and am still waiting. The law demands a cheerful " waiter" and 
I have been that and sliould be but for the greatest misfortune 
that could befall me. My wife died of consumption Nov. 1st, 1890 
and three days after Whitcomb Johnson our only child followed 
her, aged ten weeks. I had built a comfortable little home here, and 
everything seemed bright for the future but it was not to be so. 
My plans are now unsettled if I can say that I have any at all. I 
expect to remain here for the present at least. Many of '85 must 
pass through here occasionall}' and I should feel the keenest pleas- 
ure in a visit from them." 

W. G. LAMB, care Hampden Co. Jail, Springfield, Mass. 
Lamb with Bennie Brooks was personally called upon and urged 
to attend the reunion, but failed to appear. Nothing has been heard 
from him directly for some time. He was at last accounts employed 
at the jail. 

J. B. REX, Esq., Huntingdon, Pa. " Jere" writes from the 
House of Representatives, Harrisburg, as follows : " My delay in 
responding to your class communication has been occasioned by 
the constant attention required to prevent the numerous irons I 
have in the fire from burning. There is no furnace that cools so 
quickly, if neglected, as the political furnace and for the past two 
years the major portion of my time has been occupied in just such 
affairs. While at home I still make an effort to catch such of the 
unwary populace of Huntingdon as hanker after the luxury of a 
lawsuit. As they are not many, I therefore make all grist that 
comes to my mill. For two years I have been one of the secreta- 
ries of the Republican State Committee and have been located 
about five months out of each year at Philadelphia. I will in all 
likelihood be placed there again in July or August of this year. At 
the organization of the present House of Representatives I was 



40 

elected reading clerk, a position which I find pleasant and agreea- 
ble. I am still unmarried and open to engagements, but find 
myself growing old in everything but sin. I am very sorry I can- 
not write you a longer and more interesting letter, but a lack of 
time and events render it impossible. I can assure you however, 
that my thoughts frequently revert to old Amherst with a very 
kindly and tender feeling. I regard the short year I passed there 
as one of the happiest in my life." 

C. P. SAWYER, Esq., 454 W. Adams St., Chicago, HI. 
Sawyer has a steadily increasing law practice with office in the 
building of The Bank of Illinois, Dearborn St., Chicago. He 
writes as follows : " There is little of personal history to chronicle 
other than that signified by the green bag and inkstand. Have 
been using single well stand : business increased : bought stand 
with double well. Sic semper advocatis — which should not be ren- 
dered. Lawyers are always sick. No grandchildren or great- 
grandchildren to report. No use for class cup." 

E. E. SKEELE, 3014 Park Ave., Chicago, El. No letter 
from Skeele in some time. 

C. F. WILSON, care J. Francis, Omaha, Neb. "In response 
to your circular letter to '85 boys, I hasten to write, but my reply 
will not accord with your request, in that it will be neither long 
nor interesting, because of the busy monotony of the service of a 
" Grinding Monopoly", as our farmer friends facetiously call us 
and all other corporations. My biography up to date is about as 
you already know it : most of the time since coming West I have 
been in the service of the Burlington & Missouri R. R. R. in var- 
ious departments. About two years ago I met my anchor, after 
considei'able drifting, in the shape of a pretty western schoolmarm 
and now am the happy father of a bright girl of one year who is a 
credit to '85, if her father was not. As you will see by the letter 
head, my residence is now the city of Omaha, to which point I 
was transferred about a month ago and given a better position 
than I held in Lincoln, one that promises abundant opportunity 
for advancement. Of the boys I know almost nothing, except 
what I have gathered from your letters from time to time. I do 
not know that there are any of them in this vicinity ; if there are 



41 

I wish you would let me know where they are to be found so that 
I may look them up. I was in New England on a very short visit 
this summer and planned to see Old Amherst again, but my stay 
was so short I was unable to do so." 

PRESTON WILSON, M. D., Clearfield, Pa. 

Wm. D. WINDOM, Washington, D. C. 



HAROLD STEARNS, M. D. 

The fun and humor of our reunion did not lack the pathos that 
accentuates them. There was not a man present who was not 
touched by the following letter from one, who though with us but 
a year, had made a friend of every man in the class : 

Idaho Springs, Colo., June 3, '90. 

Dear Classmates : — Your invitation to class reunion received. 
I am hungry to go but could not possibly. Besides distance I 
have been very sick this spring and, for a time, not expected to 
live, but I am now steadily gaining with a good prospect of a 
return to moderate health at least. I can get around with a cane, 
drive and grow fat as fast as possible in this everlasting sunshine 
and pure air. I shall think of you all and wish I might be there ; 
but if I see aujT^ of you agaiu, it will be when you come West — and 
when you do, do not fail to visit Idaho Springs, " The Gem of the 
mountains," and what's left of your old classmate 

Harold Stearns. 

On the fourth day of last July the spirit of " Hal " Stearns broke 
away from his poor, weak body and went to dwell in the " ever- 
lasting sunshine." His remains lie buried in Idaho Springs. Not 
a man in the class who is not the poorer by this loss, and not one 
who does not extend to the family the sympathy that college men 
feel for those whose loss must be even greater tlian th:it of class- 
mate and friend is to us. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ^. 



019 629 441 7 



